


Travelling across the Web

by Sandentwins



Series: The Weird Family in the Little House [3]
Category: Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (Short Film)
Genre: Multi, Pregnancy/Egg Laying, References to Previous works, deep web
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-03-20 17:10:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3658452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandentwins/pseuds/Sandentwins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colin is a rude geek who wants to destroy the human world, while Gilbert tries to write his song and Shrignold realizes that being married can bring in a lot of troubles. In the end, will our friends win the fight, or end up swallowed by the dangerous sites of the Dark Web?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New arrival at the House

They have been sitting comfortably, watching a good movie and eating potato chips, the six of them. Paige and Tony were quarelling again over who was the best character, Harry and Robin were expressing headcanons about this or that event, and Manny and Shrignold were cuddling without much talking, looking at the rings on their fingers.  
Suddenly, the door knocked.

"Yeah, right, right.", Harry shruged, before going to open the door.

On the other side was a tall, stout boy in a green and blue suit. His monocle and fancy luggage proved he had some to teach about travels and the world in general.

"Hello, gentlemen, tehee. My name is Gilbert, and I come in behalf of-"

He suddenly got kicked to the side. Now standing in front of the door, under everyone's glances, was a lanky grey dude with a huge forehead and big glasses.

"Seems like I'll be your new roomate! Name's Colin."

The others looked at each others. Then, a massive shrug happened.

"Not again..."

\---

_When he had entered the room, he could not believe his eyes. In front of him, a puppeeter's show was going on, a grotesque parody of their first experiences. A gross mimicking of themselves as the main cast: a balloon-head, a broom and a living duck. And those creatures...the same as he had seen during Paige's song...was he the only sane one in this? Would he even trust himself? And why...who were they? Why did this all happen? And...what if their world wasn't as he first thought?_  
He was the only sane one in there. His friends wouldn't help...so he would have to discover the truth by himself.  
No big deal. 

\---

The Concepts were looking at the new one rather uncomfortably, exchanging glances as he was emptying his bowl of oats. His oversized head made his hairless face quite creepy, and his glasses were rendering his eyes about twice their regular size. His long and slender arms seemed to creep like snakes whenever he was moving, with white hands frozen into computer icons. Printed paper was flowing out of his pockets at each new bite he was taking, full of gibberish and diagrams, and falling onto the ground. Especially, he was doing quite a noise while eating, holding his bowl like a dog would protect his kibble from any stranger hands.  
Behind, sitting on a trolley suitcase, not saying anything, the stout tall guy in blue and green was staring at the grey man, without daring to glare at the three other people in the room. Biting his lip, he didn't seem at ease at all.  
They came out of nowhere, he sang his silly song, and the three friends have been left out to recover from the post-musical usual trauma. So far, the Computer had silenced everyone who'd try to talk to him, even without the slightest reason possible.

"So...", Paige hesitated, after a long minute of silence. "You're...the new one, I guess?"

Colin took a moment to swallow his oats, and nodded.

"And...Gilbert is your friend, right?"

At the sound of his name, the Globe pulled his bowler hat over his eyes. Colin nodded once again.

"So...welcome in our house, then. I'm Paige, but the creators should have told you already."

"-I don't care what's your name.", the Computer replied sharply.

Rude, they thought.  
After a moment, the new guy put down his bowl, wiping his mouth on a piece of tablecloth, and stood up. 

"Well, it has been fun. But now, we're gonna take our quarters, right, Gil?"

The Globe nodded, and followed Colin upstairs, pulling his luggage behind. But before leaving, he turned to Paige.

"Sorry, Ms Sketchbook, but my...friend is a little tired by the travel we've made. He might also seem a trifle grumpier than usual. I hope it won't-"

"-You comin', you piece of bread crust?"

Gilbert pulled his suitcase behind him as he rushed to the Computer's room, startled by the sudden call. Shrignold whistled of admirative cluelessness.

"Can someone tell me what these two are up to?"

"-If only I knew.", Tony answered. "But I don't like that way he has to talk about Time with so few respect...as if it was nothing!"

"-Calm down, both of you. We'll just let them some time to settle."

She clapped her hands.

"So, who wants to play a game of Cards and Dice?"

"-Count me in.", Shrignold joked.

"-Still...this is going way too weird, even for me."

\---

"You little idiot. Why didn't you smile more?"

Gilbert sighed as Colin meddled with the contents of the luggage, taking out clothes and electronical parts he enjoyed to throw across the room. As only one new Concept has been announced, there was a single bed in the room, which the Computer hurried to lay onto.

"Gotta be grateful with our hosts, right, Gil?"

"-Yes...of course."

"-Now, get out. I need to sleep. As the Concept of Digital, I have to put my digital brains to rest."

"-Right."

Rolling his suitcase out of the room, the Globe heard the door lock from inside. Sighing, he took out a dirtied sleeping bag and a pillow, and went outside. The winds were fresh, but he was used to way colder nights. Sleeping out was part of a traveller's life.

"Going out?", a voice asked.

Gilbert turned around.

"Hello, Mr Yellow, tee-hee~."

"-Call me Manny."

The Puppet handed him a cup of warm milk as he sat next to Gilbert.

"I just wanted to welcome you, as I always do."

"-That's...very kind of you, hee~..."

They sat in silence, gazing at the few stars out there. The Country Where Everything Is Lovely was drifting off with the wind, scattering some small pieces of cloud in its trail. A minute passed before Manny spoke.

"I will sleep at Shrignold's, tonight...so you can have my room."

Gilbert rose an eyebrow.

"R...really?"

"-Yeah. Ask Paige or Tony, they'll show you the way."

And, glancing at the sky, he added:

"Our family is getting bigger with time..."

But the Concept wasn't listening anymore.

"Hee~…no one has ever been that kind with me..."

A flapping sound made itself heard in the celestial vicinity. Seconds later, Shrignold landed in the grass, and took Manny in his arms.

"We're off.", the latter said. "See you tomorrow!"

Holding the butterfly's shoulders, they flew away, up to the clouds. The Globe took a sip of milk, and sighed of delight.

"What's the biggest thing in the world?", he muttered to himself.

Then, rolling his luggage, he entered back into the house.


	2. One night, three dreamers

Manny wrapped a loose arm around Shrignold, whose light breathing was barely hearable in the silence of the night. A smile drawn across his sleepy lips, his hair now being a mess, his forehead sweaty and his blood still pulsing between his legs, the butterfly had lived a night of a kind, in the arms of his dearest special one, who had been as curious about his body and loving as himself.

"Shriggy?", Manny asked between two kisses.

The butterfly answered with a light moaning sigh.

"I love you. Did you know?"

Shrignold nodded, snuggling closer onto Manny's chest. But even if he seemed at peace, there still were many questions going through his mind.  
Neither Shrignold nor Michael were the kind to explore their own body, but at least they knew what they were made of. Except that, as Manny and him were about to start a long night of kisses and body contacts, the Lovebug had felt something was...different. And only when Manny had pointed it out, Shrignold did realize what was wrong.  
The great Malcolm, in His almighty wisdom, couldn't have done anything to stop the bond between Manny and Shrignold, despite the fact they both were men. A Concept isn't, by definition, restricted to heterosexuality, as two males, females or unidentified can reproduce. But with a Puppet? It was too close to actual interspecies to be acceptable. How would their mating even work? Wouldn't it be somewhat...physically hard to reproduce, as it was the very purpose of marriage?  
Neither Manny nor Shrignold had much talked about it, as they didn't consider sexual relationships as something necessary. But when natural instinct did reveal itself, the thought crossed their minds.  
At first, it didn't matter. Both of them were enjoying the other's presence, their hands and mouths doing a wonderful job at keeping their partner satisfied. Shrignold, with his butterfly tongue, was doing an excellent job at making Manny moan to outer space. But when more layers of clothing got taken off, the anatomical differences between humans and beings of thread made itself shown. And that's about how Shrignold discovered that the mating wouldn't be a problem anymore, as his crotch was now hosting female genitals as well.  
It has been a wonderful night for both of them. Shrignold, eager to know everything about this new part of him, given by the omnipotent King of Love; and Manny, wanting to make his partner feel as good as promised, treating with utmost care the new part of his companion. Shrignold discovered how sensitive he was, how good it was feeling to be cared about, and especially what true love felt like. By the time they were finished, he had sensed something even more delightful up his stomach. But this sensation faded away as quick as it came, and now, a while after Manny had fallen asleep and their bodies had calmed down, Shrignold was wondering what in the world had been this feeling.  
But sleep got hold of him too, and the question slipped out of his mind.

\---

From the window with pulled curtains, almost no moonlight was filtering. The croaking of a lone raven was piercing through the night, as the wind was making the tree branches whistle. Plugged in the wall outlet, Colin was slumbering like a lion, his heavy figure drawing canyons on the thick matress. In his hand was his most prized possession: the mouse. If anyone was to unplug it from his wrist, he wouldn't even notice it.  
Gilbert had thought of that several times, but each time he had approached the sleeping computery guy, a tremendous snore or a sudden remorse had make him step back. There was no cease to his neverending nightmare of that unsollicitated partnership, but what could he ever do to change this? Why would he not attempt to get his will together and kill the Computer, once and for all?  
As he splashed his face with lukewarm water, he thought about the several plans he had developed over time. Almost every single one of them involved destroying his Concept item and taking over the weakened Colin with his own powers. But what powers? Even if he was a Concept-born, he never had got any abilities. His parents, a Map and a Compass, have failed to grow the seed of magic inside of him.  
Gilbert looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. A simple little boy, that could be mistaken for some human cosplayer. His pale blue face had been spared by the vitiligo-like green stains that covered his torso and limbs, but it was still _moving._ The waves of the ocean were seen near the coasts, turning into tsunamis whenever he was sad. His bitterness was shown as itchy sandstorms over the patches of desert, and anger was taking the form of volcanic eruptions around the Pacific's "fire belt" that surrounded his back. It was about all the magic he was able to do.  
Sitting on the bathtub's edge, he let his finger trail over his naked arm, following the Asian coast and isles, climbing up his shoulder to reach the Arabic peninsula, stroking the Sahara on his breast, and sliding between the seas to land on his heart, where France was. Even if he hadn't seen his homeland in ages, the memories were still there. He had hoped he could go home someday, once he would have gotten rid of Colin...but this house was so welcoming. Paige, Tony, Shrignold and his friends, and the Puppets, they were like his home now. They even offered him a place to live, and a warm bed to sleep, when all he had ever known was a sleeping bag under the rain. Smiling, he went to his trolley, and took out a nightshirt.  
The luggage was full of memories. Bottomless, always opening onto what was needed, decorated with stickers and patches, it was Gilbert's Concept item in a way. Concept-borns didn't need one, but nothing forbade them to; Paige had her magic, endless sketchbook to fill in that role. As for the suitcase, it was containing the Globe's whole life.  
Pulling it behind him, Gilbert went to Manny's bedroom, as he has kindly been offered. It was a small room, but was bigger than the one contained in the luggage. Sitting on the bed, bouncing his legs on the springs, he let out a sigh of contentment. Having a home where to stay, a bed where to sleep, and no Colin for the night. Setting his shoes and bowler hat aside, he laid between the blankets, and flickered his eyes shut. Slowly, his skin covered in clouds as he drifted off to sleep.

\---

Mumbling in his sleep, Colin turned between the sheets. Since he had first gotten into this house, there has been some weird feeling that wouldn't stop bothering him, something along the lines of cruel reminiscence.  
_"Please, come out already! Your school keeps calling, you have to get out!"_

_"-I said: leave me alone!"_

His first dream in ages had to be that one.

_In a darkened room covered in video game posters, with computer pieces scattered all around, Mikey Sowft was attempting to beat a final boss. His Lvl 67 Archer would never get to pass through the Doors of Makresh without the Emotion Crystal! And yet, no matter how long he would farm it, the Celestial Behemother would not drop it!  
Mikey took a spoonful of oats. Since he has decided to lock himself in his room, oats and milk were his only source of food. Not like it would make him any healthier: deprivated of sun, eyes locked on the screen, braced teeth lacking a brush and skin covered in spots due to the cereal-only diet, he was way far from his greatest look._

_"Colin...please come, now..."_

_"-My name is NOT Colin!!"_

_He slammed on his keyboard, drawing more and more lazer blasts in the Behemother's face, picturing theirs' instead of this grotesque complexion of eyes and teeth. It wasn't a giant worm anymore, but his bullies, one by one. He shot at them, one after the other, hoping it would make his anger pass...but it only brought it to a worse level._

_"Colin, the munchkin, he's a stupid trashbin!"_

_The voice of the mob was replaced with laughter, shouts, mockery, and that horrible nickname that stuck onto him, even for his mother._  
In the far night, the crow was still singing, if that horrendous croak had a slight trifle in common with a song. The Computer grabbed his pillow, and strummed on it as if it was a gaming keyboard.

_"Take that, smartypants!"_

_The memory of the fist in his stomach echoed to the kick thrown at the boss, making it crawl back like a whining bitch. The spit on his face had felt like a fire arrow. His books and stuff thrown down the toilet were just like the water storm that made his armor break down. And the final shot, more powerful than any fist or foot, killed him on the spot._

_"Go back where you belong, bitch: nowhere!"_

_They had been four. That diva of Wendy Jamison, the bulky Frederick Fazzear, his cousin Bonnie the weirdo and Gilbert Mappemonde. Mikey hated that one the most: even if he hadn't hurt him in anyway, his way to smile as he saw his buddies torture a harmless boy was pathetic. Mikey wanted to find that one and get his revenge. If others could attack a weak one, then he certainly could too._  
Gilbert. That pathetic excuse of a being, whose name was the object of Colin's muttered rambles.

_"Colin, now please come out!", his mother kept calling, using that horrible nickname._

_Before he could add anything, the door opened.  
The lights first blinded him, and he yelled as the sudden pain made its way to his brain. Sternly, his mother walked to the computer, spilling empty boxes of oats, and violently closed the game...or at least attempted to, which resulted in her touching every key and crashing the game._

_"D...don't touch it!", Mikey screamed. "I'm gonna lose!"_

_"-I don't care anymore. I have been patient enough, but now you have to stop! Why aren't you like the other children, always so alone and asocial? Why aren't you more like your friend Gilbert?"_

_But as she kept hitting the computer, it glitched. Mikey felt the pain nearly ripping out his head, as he tried to push her away. But no matter what, his mother kept clicking and pressing everything...until he couldn't bear it anymore._

_"Don't touch it...don't TOUCH ME!"_

_What happened then was a mystery. He remembered grabbing the mouse, and hitting his mother with it. She fell on the ground among candy wrappings and dirtied blankets...and glitched. Her body, her face were glitching, blinking in color, as if some program had gone wrong. When she looked up at him, there was fear in her eyes._  
_But Mikey ignored it as he hit her again, this time more violently. He made her disappear into the computer. She screamed and called for help. He ignored it, and punched through the screen. The glass shatters cut his face, the cards and chips made him bleed, and his blood soaked the wires, which wrapped around his wrist. He let it happen. He had read enough about this to know what was happening._  
He stopped muttering.  
_It was both so slow, and so quick at the same time. His head filled with algorithms, diagrams, formulas and code, to a point it seemed to actually get heavier. A whole new world opened to him. His rage and frustration vanished, as the mouse in his other hand started to burn him...as it was becoming part of him. A decorated mouse with code lines engraved in its skin-like plastic._

_"Colin, the munchkin, he's a stupid trashbin!"_

_Their echoes did not go away the slightest. But now, they were covered by the rebooting sounds in his head. Mikey smiled._

_"I'll show you...I'll show you who Colin really is..."_

_His smile widened, became creepy and frightening. The physical transformation accomplished, he clicked on his mouse._  
_Using computers as waypoints, he went to his enemies' places. One by one, they begged, wanted him to spare them, expressed their regret. But he didn't care, and wrecked them one by one. Even if Bonnie did only mock him, even if Wendy was pregnant, even if Frederick had the strenght to resist death...and if Gilbert had not accidentally revealed his true nature._  
_Gilbert's face was the only part of himself he would let out, for one reason. Without make-up, what at first seemed to be a skin disease revealed a precise map of Earth in green and blue, as seen when he had his shirt taken off. That's how Colin found him, crawling under his bed, imploring him not to tell anyone he was "one of them". But the Computer had already different projects. Way different...and suitable for a revenge._

_"You come with me, creep.", he had smirked. "I have some plans for you."_

_The Concept of Digital, now with the Concept of Real at his side, was ready for some great action. But first, he needed to get to the House._  
Gilbert suddenly woke up. His battery was full.  
Unplugging himself, he sat up, and yawned. The sun hadn't risen yet, but he knew he'd have to start early today. Putting on some clothes, creeping his feet downstairs, he poured some oats and goat milk in a bowl while checking the TV program in his head. Sitting in front of the screen, he ate noisily while zapping through the channels. 

"Already up?"

Colin turned around, and saw Tony, freshly gotten out of the bath. 

"Nah, just chilling.", he answered. "What is the program, even?"

"-We would first have to wait until everyone has woken up, but then, it will depend on what the others have planned to do."

"-Shouldn't we...y'know, find some victims?"

Tony shrugged.

"We had made a deal with the Puppets, and humans are out of question."

"-Why so?"

"-Well...let's just say we had some troubles with them last year. Nothing really important, but still, Shrignold almost died and humans had found out about us."

Colin watched the TV screen, only showing parasites.

"Still...how can you treat humans that way? They're not so different from us."

And, lowering his voice, he added:

"We also used to be like them."

Tony glared at the Computer, startled, who smiled.

"Hey, buddy. I've seen that the first second I've seen you. I know how Two-lives act compared to Concept-born ones. And trust me, there ain't got a single ounce of natural magic in your moves."

"-How can you say so?"

"-Let's just say I'm very clever."

He grinned, and Tony stood up, shrugging.

"Whatever. But please keep in mind that, Two-life or not, I've been this way for way longer than you could ever picture."

"-1721, right?"

The Clock nearly fell down.

"Don't ask me how I know. I just had to look at your face. There's only three pocket watches made of a whole polished sapphire, with red copper needles in the world. Seeing your apparent age and computering the timespan between the creation of each watchclock, adding the value of Concepts' aging slowness, plus your obsession over pizza, I can tell yours' has been crafted in 1720 in Florence, Italy, in a completely anachronistic way."

And, grinning with all of his teeth, he had a last remark.

"But hey, it doesn't matter how old you are, you will still be nothing to me. Afterall, who has got pocket watched nowadays, anyways?"

On his words, he left the Clock alone, with words in his clenched throat he would never got the chance to express, as an unknown feeling was stopping Tony from moving.

"Remember, Clock. I know _everything_."

Outside, the crow took off in a storm of black feathers.


	3. Switch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say I hate Windows Phone because I can't get over how slow this shit is.

The sound of the quill sliding on the paper was the only noise in the morning silence. Tickling his cheek with the feather from time to time, Gilbert was feeling pretty inspired today. The songwriting was progressing well. Dipping the tip in the ink, he read out loud the first lines of his poem.

_What is so big it can't be seen?  
Larger than the sky might've ever been,  
With all you need inside to live:  
Water to drink and air to breathe!_

Satisfied, the Globe started to work on the next part of his masterpiece, hoping he could sing it soon.  
From what he knew, Colin didn't have to actually work on his song. Some program in his digital head would play with notes and words until his song was good enough. Basically, he would brag out about how perfect he was and how he couldn't be smarted out. What a shame! It was a Concept's duty to work hard on their song, find the perfect words and arrange the melody.   
He remembered some Concepts who didn't have any songs, and had been badly bullied because of this. Not like if it was needed to be a good singer, or even to know the basics of music, as it was all part of the Conceptification. But singing was what brought warmth to the lonely hearts of these consorts. The Puppets loved to hear the singing of their Concept friends...well, maybe not the parts that needed killing or harming them. But there was all the work of a melodist.   
Gilbert set his paper aside. Maybe that could wait a little, seeing how Colin would steal the spotlight from him again. Way to say he hadn't got any idea about what to write next. But someday...someday, he would get back on top of the stage. He would take his revenge and make everyone forget about the Computer. He would-

"Gilbert, stupid munchkin, get down here and make me some breakfast!"

That startled him.

"O...okay!"

Gilbert hid the lyrics in a pocket of his luggage, then rolled it down the stairs.  
Why even would he have to be his maid? How did all of this happen already? He hadn't got the slightest clue about it. He used to be the comparse of a gang of bullies, it was the truth. Together they used to mock him, indeed. But why would Colin's wish for retribution keep on after all this time? Gilbert had never been directly violent towards the little nerd, and even tried to stop the others. But it had been no use: he was the Computer's new target now. Whatever were his motives.  
Getting down to the kitchen, Gilbert turned on the stove. Being gifted with the knowledge of the world, he had some good cooking recipes too. Breaking some eggs on a frypan, he started preparing some sugary oats, when Paige entered the room.   
She was the object of the Globe's admiration, being the only other Concept-born. Without any problems, she could use her magic to do whatever she wanted. She had a strong spirit and sense of beauty, to his mere devotion.   
Grabbing an orange, she squeezed it out in her hand, letting the juice both drip into her mouth and flow onto her dress. Throwing the poor fruit off the window, she sat next to Gilbert and took a box of oats. 

"Isn't there something else to eat, or did that Computer threw everything edible out?"

Chewing this nasty cereal, she snapped her fingers. At the signal, a small laptop turned on, opening itself on the table nearby. 

"Good morning, Miss Paige! How can I help you?"

"-Morning, Windows. Please get me the latest trends in terms of coloring tools, and the Pizzeriastuck updates."

Commanding, authoritarian but polite and having some common interests with Gilbert. Clearly she was a bright girl, but that maybe was his love for paper people... 

"No updates yet. But xXFrederickBossXx's channel did upload a new theory video. Also, RainbowDash413's advice of the day is using pastel pencils for bright colors."

"-Dang, she's always that awesome."

"-Would you like to order a stack of fourty graphite sticks? Cobbles & Sawdust is having a sales out."

As Paige was licking her lips, thinking about how many cakes that would represent, Colin entered the kitchen, playing with his trackball mouse. He didn't even bother looking at Gilbert as he took his chair and sat down, grabbing Paige's unfinished oats and eating messily. The Notebook wore a disgusted face, before returning to her task. 

"Windows, please order two of these stacks. Also check my subscription to the Daily Roy. This one is the tastiest."

As the laptop was processing, Colin rose his head. At the sight of the little computer, too small to be a full-developped Concept, he grunted. 

"Newbies think they can be good at handling the digital world."

Without any word added, he pushed the Shut down button. Windows gasped as if they had been assassinated, and their face vanished into a black screen.   
Paige angrily looked at the Computer. 

"What's wrong with you?"

He smirked. 

"Come on, if you want to read the news, I can give them to you in no time!"

What a true jerk, Gilbert thought.

"Thanks, but no. I prefer the good old taste of paper."

Taking Windows under her arm, she went to put her bowl in the sink, then looked at the Globe.

"Gil, your eggs are burning."

Oh, darn! Gilbert thought while trying to make the smoke go away and attempting to save the burnt eggs. But as Colin sneaked from behind him, the unfortunate cook felt his face buried into the boiling oil.

"You. Mistake. Of. Nature.", said Colin calmly. "How come you can't do anything right, for once? That might be worth a little travel...across the Web, don't you think?"

Upon hearing those words, Gilbert nearly froze. "Travelling across the Web" was Colin's way of saying "living the worst nightmare of your life". The list of "sites deemed dangerous and unsafe", kept by Colin alone in a corner of his database, were a disasterous territory where no one could safely return from. Gilbert shook his head, trying to escape the grip of the mouse whose cord was wrapping slowly around his neck.

"Now make my breakfast again. And make it edible."

He then threw the Globe face down into the dirty dishes, before leaving.  
Gilbert started to cry. He let a tidal wave hit the Australian coast on his leg, as the Arctic ocean near his ears dropped into tears. This was his life, all of it in a single scene. And he hated it.

"Gil?"

He turned around, wiping his face from the food bits, and saw Paige, plugging Windows in.

"That guy sure is rude. He didn't even tried to kill you!"

Gilbert nodded, brushing his hair back into place with his fingers.

"Has he always...been like this?"

"-Not really."

He sat down on the kitchen chair and tried to get a hold of himself.

"But he's really killing me on the inside."

She sat next to him, and put a hand on his chin, raising his eyes to hers. Gilbert felt intimidated by her reddish glance, but didn't look away.

"No one can kill you. Remember?"

He nodded slightly.

"If this brute ever threatens you, then you gotta react. Even, if needed, use your Switch."

"-My...? But, isn't it...dangerous?"

"-Not if you train yourself enough."

She let him go, then called for Robin to come around.

"Watch. And learn."

The duck descended the stairs, trotting her palmey boots into the kitchen. But as soon as she entered, a violent blast of graphite-colored lightning hit her straight into the skull, spilling blood everywhere on the walls with a trail of smoke.

"Kill."

Paige leant over the bird's shocked corpse, and spreaded a pinch of magical glitter.

"Revive."

Robin hesitantly rose a hand to wipe the glitter out of her healing eye, wondering what the heck that had been for. The tip of her hair was still bleached out after her disasterous encounter with Paige's madness, and its chemical smell fused with the metallic scent of the blood.

"Gilbert, listen. You are nothing like him. You're a pure-blooded one. Remember that, and you'll be alright."

"-...alright."

She smiled, and left the kitchen. Gilbert was still kinda wet from his crying, but the chlorophyllic scent of hope coming from his equatorial forests made him feel better.  
She truly was an inspiration. Maybe she could help him to write his song?  
Robin ran away, frightened, while Gilbert slowly let his hand trail up to his heart.

\---

"Feeling better?"

Shrignold nodded, his head still aching.

"I...don't know what that was..."

"-Probably some morning sickness. You'll feel good with a little honeymilk."

Shrignold flushed the toilet, quite surprised that a sudden nausea had decided to strike him that very day. How queer of someone who didn't have a proper gastric system.

"I'm fine, thanks...but I think I'll just go to bed and rest a little."

"-If you insist."

Manny kissed his mate on the forehead, and the latter flew out of the window, to land on the house's roof. With some scraps of fabric he had collected from all around the house, he had built himself a tiny comfy nest. Snuggling imbetween the feathers drawn from the pillows and the felt taken from old plushies, his wings wrapping around his body, he let out a sigh of tiredness.  
What was happening to him? Why would he be suddenly prone to sickness and exhaustion, without even changing anything in his behavior? That made him ask even more questions.  
He felt his stomach growling. Maybe he could indeed have a snack, to ease his pain. But what if he was to throw up again? No, there would be no need to consider this. He would be fine...very fine.  
Still, he was feeling very strange.


	4. Something old, something new

Concepts didn't age, or at least not at the same pace as humans. It took Tony a hundred years to look somewhat adult, Shrignold only a handful of self-sequestration years to mature, and as of Colin...well, he still had a lot to undergo before getting out of his "awkward teen years". And of course, Paige was completely elusive on the subject.  
Gilbert didn't change a lot either during this time. Since he had started travelling with Colin many years ago, his body had simply stopped growing at all. One looking at him would not guess he could be over seventeen or eighteen, even if he already had some wrinkles here and there. He had barely changed since that day, except for some patches of forest replaced with young desert.  
So, what were the odds someone could recognize him?  
He has preferred to silence this question, smothering it back in a corner of his head as he packed some stuff into his trolley backpack. Of course, he would never give himself away, not like Shrignold did last time he tried to sneak into the human town.  
The butterfly was one of a kind. His Switch was still pretty unclear even to him, but at least he knew he could kill and revive like any other Concept. He hated to kill, though. But that wasn't what Gilbert was thinking about.  
Since the start, the Concept of Love had seemed familiar to him. A kind of subliminal déjà-vu that would bother the Globe whenever he would set eyes on the Lovebug. For the first days, he had let it go, ignoring this familiarity each time he would feel it. But then, he had overheard a conversation between Manny and Shrignold, who were as usual cuddling in some remote and alone corner of the garden.  
They had been talking of many things that didn't really appeal the Globe's ears, until that one sentence. 

"What would Mother think if she saw us right now?", the butterfly had asked. 

"-I bet she would rampage through the town with a gigantic hammer, breaking everything out of rage while screaming like a maniac about how she hates butterflies and boys loving each other."

"-Meh, I can understand. Everyone back there was always so...how to say..."

"-Narrow-minded?"

"-Exactly. But that's the proper of humans, right?"

They have laughed at the thought. Gilbert had turned away as soon as he had realized it was the kind of moments where people didn't want to be disturbed, but he did hear what the butterfly had said. Butterfly who had human relatives that lived in the town right down the hill.  
The town looked rather peaceful from up there. About a mile away, old-fashioned, although some houses seemed to have a more modern architecture. And full, choking-full of humans. They had to know about what he needed.  
Once he had packed everything, Gilbert rolled his luggage in a way it would make no noise while trailing next to Colin's bedroom, downstairs, and into the hallway. Carefully closing the door behind him, checking his make-up a last time in a pocket mirror, he walked in direction of the town.  
Ironically enough, although Gilbert had never been human, he knew how to pass for one. His blue and green 1920's clothes had been traded for a sweater and a pair of jeans he had found in his luggage. With some fair-colored foundation, the blue ocean of his face was well-hidden, and gloves would mask his hands. Having set his monocle aside, he had some sight troubles that spare glasses couldn't really fix, but it was better than nothing.  
He eventually made it to the first houses. Evening was falling, but some humans were still out, packing their market stands or chatting with each other. Gilbert made sure his hair was ruffled enough; he had to play this teenager role with perfection.  
His trolley turned into a backpack in a snap of the fingers. Walking between the few loners outside, he was perfectly blending in. If asked who he was, he'd just answer he was a travelling student looking for a cheap place to rest in. If anything went wrong, well...he'd have the Switch. He only hoped it would work...  
But things were alright so far. Gilbert walked for a while without seeing anything interesting. Very few cars were driving at this hour, but the few he had seen had looked like props straight out of a science-fiction movie. He stared at a blue one, with hover wheels, that was trailing down the antiquated street. What a town...bet Tony would really have loved to-

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

In his dreamful glare session, Gilbert had bumped into someone, a woman with a strong voice, and lost his balance. His glasses fell down as he tripped over the pavement, completely taken aback by this sudden apparition. 

"Can't you use these nerdy glasses of yours to see where you're going, weirdo?"

Gilbert stood up, and apologized pathetically as he tried to clean his lenses. But as soon as he put them back on and his eyes met those of the girl, his expression changed in the blink of an eye. 

"...Wendy? Wendy Jamison?"

The woman stopped in the middle of a swearword. 

"How...how'd you know my..."

She silenced mid-sentence, and looked at him closely. 

"Wait... Are you..."

Gilbert took off his glasses and grabbed his bowler hat from his backpack. As soon as he put it on, her face got cut by a huge smile. 

"Gilbert!"

She hugged him. 

"It's been such a long time! What had become of you? Where have you been all this time?" 

He returned the affection, surprised he'd find her here, in the middle of an intemporal city without any kind of electronic device. 

"Let's say that...I've been busy lately."

She had changed so much since the last time he had seen her, years ago, before he had to follow Colin. Her once pretty face has been stroked by the hand of old age, even if it wasn't much more than some wrinkles hidden with make-up. Her outfit was that of an old woman from the previous century, and something on her whole person rendered the austerity of a strict and religious life. She who used to love rhinestones and colorful scarves now only had a kerchief for headwear and a simple black dress as outfit. And especially (even if only a Concept could tell), she had been the victim of a very familiar Switch. Gilbert could easily recognize the marks of strangulation by mouse wire, followed by a classic Ctrl+Z revival. Maybe Colin had spared her as that made her give birth prematurely.  
No one would have guessed she'd had meet _them._

"That's nice too see you again, Gil.", she said. "You haven't changed at all, you lucky boy. Come over, I'll make you some tea, you must be tired..."

"-Thanks a lot, Wendy, but I won't be staying for long."

As he followed her to a small cottage house, something appealed to him. The sense of familiarity came back, this time to bring an answer to his recent questions. Her face, her traits... they were the same as Shrignold's, although older. Definitely, there was no denying. Plus, last time he had seen her, she had been pregnant.  
Not much math was needed for Gilbert to deduce that, if Wendy was indeed Shrignold's mother, he had been force-following Colin for more than twenty years. 

"So, what brings you there?", Wendy asked, after pouring two cups of tea and inviting Gilbert to sit down. 

"-I'm just passing through...but I may have some questions to ask you."

His face deepened into a more serious expression, and he looked at her straight into the eyes. 

"About Mikey Sowft. Remember, the nerd with the braces?"

She had a slight shiver, and the traces of the Switch got brighter for half a second. 

"...what would you want to know about that munchkin? He's been dead for twenty years now."

"-That's not true."

She looked at him with unbelieving eyes. 

"He's still there.", Gilbert said. "And that's why I came here."

He took out a USB key from his pocket, and pushed it over to her from across the table. 

"I need to find something to get rid of him for good." 

She looked at the device, not understanding. 

"I have given up on all of this. I can't risk bringing in that demon again. What would happen to my family?"

Her face got darker. 

"My only son had already been...corrupted by those monsters. Who knows what he might be doing? Surely he's converting innocent children to his new lifestyle, poor trapped soul..."

Gilbert would have loved to reply it wasn't the case, but that would have to wait. 

"Wendy. You're the only one I can count on, and the only one who can help me. If you can reach out to our old friends, they could help us to get rid of Colin the munchkin for good."

He insisted on her taking the USB key, which she reluctantly did. 

"What do you want me to do?", she conceded. 

Gilbert grinned like a mastermind. 

"To explain, Mikey Sowft, or Colin the Computer as he calls himself, isn't invincible. Like every hardware, he's got defenses that can be broken down."

He leant closer, lowering his voice so she could barely hear without paying attention. 

"All we need is some kind of dangerous sickness for him to surrender. In other words...a good old virus."

\---

Far from the village, in the little house over the hill, a lone Computer was buzzing and beeping as he was writing a program in his dreams. The millions and millions pages of code were following each other with a fluidity that could put Fireware to shame, each bringing new information to the slumbering central unit. With each line he was subconsciously writing, a new step towards his objective was taken. He had spent years building this project, and he wouldn't give up anytime soon.  
As long as he had Gilbert to play the final part, it would be the beginning of a whole new world. 

\---

Shrignold had kept turning in between the bedsheets for so long that the fabric had taken a nest-like shape that would never iron out. His hair was sticking to his sweaty forehead, his antennas folded in impossible ways, and his muscles were sore from exhaustion. Especially, a crippling nausea was drilling through his stomach with the force of a hundred fists in the gut.  
Worst of all, he couldn't sleep.  
Manny wasn't there. Shrignold had insisted so much to be left alone, there was no turning back on his words. He would have loved to feel the presence of his beloved one at his side, to cuddle the hell out of him, and to slap him a million times for what he'd done to him.  
It has been days. Since, he had stopped eating, sleeping regularly, or even going out of the cloudy bedroom. A ferocious hunger was biting him from the inside, but that sickness made it impossible for him to eat anything. His body had to cope with strong and random hormonal crisis, along with the pain that was starting to make itself heard from his lower stomach. It only has been days, but an unexperimented butterfly could see it as months or years of pain. Especially a butterfly boy suddenly gifted with a fully-functional womb.  
There was no doubt possible: somehow, he had gotten pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh fuck there is a new DHMIS episode i wasnt prepared oh no


	5. Gateway Shellcode

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon the ending. Promise.

If one were to peek at the device from the outside and from a certain distance, it would have looked like a television screen or a very old model of computer, glued to a little cousin of the Eiffel tower and infested with shiny ants. But when directly facing it, it indeed was huge. Wires were sticking out from the back of the machine, connected to a tower-shaped receptacle in a tangled mess of copper and rubber. Antennas and parabolic receptors covered almost every square inch of this weird assemblage of metal and microchips. The blackened screen was showing pixellated snow every now and then, as Colin was trying to figure out the last remaining connections.  
Building hardware had never been his specialty, as he was more focused on the software part of his project, but there was nothing a little help couldn't fix. The missing parts of the device having been found at last in Tony's mess of clocks and watches, Colin only needed hard work to make his creation fully operational. Hidden in the basement where no one had been for years, he could focus on his task without the slightest disturbance. And yet, he was almost done.  
The Computer readjusted the rotating parts of the antennas, trying to get a powerful enough internet connection. Having a black-out right in the middle of the operation would truly be a disaster, and he had to make sure it would never happen.

“So, what'd you need us for anyway?”

Oh, right. Them.  
Colin sat on a crate, looking at his creation with the heartening awe of a father in front of his adorable newborn child. Next to him, the green-haired Concept shrugged, trying to see what in this creepy assemblage of metal and wires could be so charming.

“I told you.”, Colin sighed, breaking from his religious contemplation. “All I want is the final piece for my creation.”

He stroked the screen, with an utmost tenderness and care. There was no way this plan would fail, and there was no way he would let all these years of preparation go to waste.

“Candice. David.”, he suddenly ordered. “Now is time. Go wake up our dear Gilbert while I install the last components. You will then have the right to sing.”

“-You know he won't let himself be used that way.”, the Porkchop snickered. “He's gonna kill you in no time if you try anything.”

A mouse wire suddenly found itself tightly wrapped around the beefy man's neck, threatening to strangle him like a piglet.

“Did you already forget our little arrangement?”, Colin hissed. “All I care about is the gateway. What Gilbert thinks about it is no interest to me. I only need his Concept energy, and none of his or your words. I give you the Puppets, you lend me your song. Remember?”

David tried to set himself free, but the wire was too tight around his trachea, his face already starting to turn blue. Candice was freaking out, trying to free her friend, but Colin didn't easily let go.

“Now, get out of my sight.”

Colin called his mouse back, which slithered like an electronic snake up his leg, plugging itself back into his wrist. David massaged his neck, picking up his chief hat from where it fell down.

“Alright...no need to bitch about your ego. We get it. We're gonna sing, but you better have those darn Puppets ready to hear us.”

“-Whatever. Suit yourself.”

He trailed heavily up the basement stairs, closely followed by the little Spinach Can. Hopefully, they weren't meant to stay for much longer, Colin thought to himself. Nonetheless, it helped to have some acquaintances, especially in cases where the brutal rapture and killing of a Concept-born was needed. Especially the Concept of Real.  
The time was coming. Unplugging himself from the hard disk where the main program was loaded, he placed a gentle kiss onto the gateway's metallic structure.

“Sleep well, my dear.”

Shutting the lights, he carefully closed the door as he exited the basement.

“You'll need it for tomorrow.”

\---

“Have you seen Harry recently?”, Robin asked.

“-I have other problems to deal with, sweetheart.”, Tony replied, still looking for spare gears. “He's probably outside.”

The duck shrugged, still wondering about what was different. Something in the last few days had been really strange about the House, about Colin, about everyone else. Everyone had been behaving weirdly for a good time, and there was no explanation. Tony and Paige seemed more distant than ever, Shrignold was isolating himself from the world, worrying Manny more than ever. The Muppets had simply disappeared, Gilbert had run away to the human town, Harry was nowhere to be found and Colin had locked himself in the old basement, leaving Robin worrying about everyone.  
The poor duck didn't know what to do anymore. Not that she wanted, but all of this was starting to get on her nerves. There was something, something coming up, she could be sure of it. But of what nature, he couldn't tell at all, and that was really frightening. If she was to follow her nature, she wouldn't do anything at all about her friends, and just keep on living. But she wouldn't do that just yet. There was more to it.  
But what was going on, she couldn't tell at all.

\---

Gilbert hid the USB key in his breast pocket, running as fast as he could from the human village. Wendy had to contact several of her old friends, and Gilbert had to travel a long way to reach them, but he finally got his hands on the program. A deadly virus, developed by high-ranked IT professionals, that would shut down Colin and erase his memories as soon as he would read the first lines of code. That would end him for good right away.  
The Globe knew Colin was up to something, but he had a hard time deciphering his true plans. Yet the obvious was there: he wanted to build a portal.  
Two worlds: the one where Concepts, Puppets and humans lived, and the one where the magic of Concepts found its source. Concepts had been made by obscure deities known as the Creators, for purposes still yet unknown. But Puppets' only reason to live was to provide them with a powerful energy. Through singing, Concepts could gain reality-warping abilities, only once, by slowly stealing the Puppets' life strength. Colin had already given out his song and had almost gathered enough to open his portal, but his plan had failed at the last minute, and he was now stuck with no songpower left and an aborted project. He had forbidden Gilbert to sing yet, but he was encouraging him to write a good song in case it was needed.  
Gilbert was the Concept of Real, and Colin was the Concept of Digital. If they were to combine their powers as they were meant to do, they could achieve great things. But Colin had instead decided to tear holes in the very fabric of space-time, and open his gateway to the realm of the Creators, where he would very likely ascend to godhood and destroy all humanity.  
And Gilbert had to stop him.  
He quickly wiped the itchy make-up out of his face, letting the ocean breathe on his skin. He had to act fast: at this very moment, Colin could be already opening the gateway!

\---

Just as he thought it couldn't get worse, Shrignold had started laying eggs.  
The size of a chicken's, they were brownish in color and horribly painful to get out of the butterfly's body. So far, he had only managed to get a dozen out of his womb-like structure, each time with excruciating pain and torments. Reduced to a mess of sweat, tears and blood, Shrignold was starting to lose his nerves, locked in his darkened bedroom. In a nest crafted out of a blanket, the eggs had been hastily piled up, and were each second passing reminding him of the suffering he had been cursed with.  
The Lovebug clenched a piece of fabric between his jaws, biting down to hold back his pain screams as another egg was coming, tearing down his insides. Not that they were too big, but he was too tight, too inexperienced, and if he had been human, he would have been too young to have children.  
Children. Each egg was to become a caterpillar. What would he do with these? He had never wanted to have children. He was not made to be a father! He knew he would have had to, someday, in some alternate reality where he would have married Juliette. But there, she would have borne the eggs and not himself!  
Shrignold was lost, in pain, exhausted. The egg came out with a slick noise, and the butterfly put it with its siblings, not without an extreme mental tiredness. Either the eggs had all been laid, either his body was taking a break, but the pain had become somewhat more bearable. Still, his whole body was aching, and his crotch seemed to have been split in two.  
Pushing some sweaty hair locks out of his eyes, Shrignold counted the eggs. Fourteen. Fourteen babies, caterpillar, hybrids of Puppet and Concept genes. What would they look like? Shrignold wondered. Wrapping the blanket carefully around his clutch, he seemed to gain something that humans called “maternal instinct”, seeing how he made sure all his eggs were all warm and comfy, although whatever was inside could maybe not feel the blanket through the hard shells.  
Shells that, a second later, started to crack.  
So soon? That was impossible. Yet one of the eggs, dry by the time it had been laid, had a large ripple drawing across its surface. Shrignold carefully took it in its palms, stroking the shell with his fingers. He could already imagine the fuzzy little caterpillar emerging from inside, looking for a leaf to nibble on...wait, what if it was more of a squishy caterpillar? Shrignold didn't know what exact species of butterfly he was, and his brood could very well depend on it. How would he feed that little guy once it had hatched, and all the others? And, on top of all, how would Manny react?  
Pieces of eggshell fell on the ground as the baby was finding its way though the air pocket. A dark little form, that wiggled slowly out of the gunk, and looked right at the smiling butterfly-

“Father!”

Shrignold screamed. It was not a baby; it was a monster! A pure creation of horror, a sin towards nature, an abomination!  
Without knowing what he was doing, Shrignold threw the egg on the ground. The thing tried to crawl out, to climb on his foot, but Shrignold stomped it, squishing the repulsing deformity out of his sight, again, again and again, until it was nothing more than a puddle of blood and other gut-wrenching fluids.  
Shrignold then glared at the rest of the clutch. They hadn't moved; but if they all were the same, then they hadn't the right to live. Malcolm would never allow such...things into his world.  
The Lovebug went to grab an old and dirty pillowcase, throwing the eggs in them. The shells didn't crack: they were too solid at this state. He had to get rid of them all, then clean all this mess, then pretend as if nothing had happened. He'd find out something to explain Mann what had happened. A good old lie.  
But he had to be quick.


	6. Dimensional Rift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took so long, but here it is.  
> Enjoy.

Gilbert quietly opened the front door of the House. Everyone seemed to be sleeping, at this late hour. That would only make his plan much more easier.  
The USB key with the deadly virus was in his hand, ready to be inserted. The Globe tiptoed upstairs, careful not to walk on the creaking steps. He had got only one chance to plug it in, and he would not let it go to waste.  
The door to Colin's bedroom wasn't locked. He opened it, very slowly, and peeked inside. The dark mass of the Computer's body was slumbering, lightly breathing.  
Gilbert readied himself as he drew the USB key, slowly approaching the sleeping Computer. His ports were at the back of his neck. Neck which, in his dormant posture, was unguarded. It was so easy.  
The Globe got his shaky hand closer. He could do it. He had to do it. If he succeeded in terminating Colin, he would save the world. He would finally get his chance. He would make Paige proud of him. Grinning with determination, steadying himself, he thrust his hand forward.  
The key never reached the port. As something suddenly wrapped itself around Gilbert's neck, it fell down on the bed, where Colin caught it and crushed it in his hand.

“How impolite of you, my dear.”, he snickered without a tinge of fatigue in his voice.

The garotte (spaghetti?) tightened, cutting Gilbert's breath as he tried to struggle himself free, and in the time needed to snap one's fingers, his wrists and ankles got bound with the same sticky wet pasta rope.

“Come forth, my friends. We have a lot of work to do.”

And before Gilbert could even utter a whimper, something hard hit him right on the nape, knocking him off into darkness.

\---

When the Globe woke up, he felt something cold and scratchy had replaced the wet spaghetti around his wrists. He couldn't see anything in front of him, and his head hurt like crazy. He tried to break free, out of whatever he was bound to, but a sudden mechanical sound scared him off his shoes. That's when a sudden light turned on, blinding him for a long moment before he could make out the whereabouts of his condition.  
He was in what seemed to be a basement, seeing all the old junk and crates that were filling the place. From behind a pile of cardboard crates, he could hear two voices coming.

“Remind me why we're doing this again?”

“Because there's no other option for us. Wee need to sing as much as Colin needs us.”

Colin. Gilbert remembered what he had been doing. He had failed to plug in the lethal virus, and now he was here.

“If we don't, how will we be able to keep ourselves alive? Your energy is already dropping at an alarming rate. You have to unleash it.”

“I don't care. It just...doesn't feel right.”

The two people moved a bit, allowing Gilbert to see them. A beefy guy, dressed as a cook, with messy brown hair and a meat-red skin; he had the superior aura of a Concept-born. The other was a bucktoothed girl with a sickened greenish body, as thin and curveless as a tin can, who had seemed to grow up too fast. Gilbert could feel the spoon she was holding was filled with disgust and jealousy; the Concept item of a Two-lives.  
Gilbert made as if he was still knocked out, only opening an eye very slightly as to see the dialogue.

“Did it feel right when you almost died after emptying this last can of spinach? But you had to. That's the difference.”

“I had never wanted to become like this. And I have never wanted to end up stuck here.”

“I didn't want you to suffer either, nor did I want to obey the orders of this maniac Computer. But did we have another chance? There are almost no Puppets left. Concepts are dying all around the world. And yet...”

They stopped walking. Gilbert did his best as to seem unconscious, even though the copper wires were slowly cutting the flesh around his wrists.

“And yet...those three. Those three little Puppets are unique. They have been the victim of so many Switches for years, and yet they're still alive. It would be a crime not to take advantage of it. They have something...something in their life energy that makes every Concept around them more and more alive.”

The Spinach Can nodded sadly.

“But how will we do it? Neither of us has a song ready. We didn't had time.”

“We'll improvise. It doesn't have to be a musical masterpiece. As long as we gather enough energy to make his stupid gateway open.”

The Gateway. Everything was coming together in Gilbert's mind, now: if those two were to sing, it would open, and unleash the horrors from the other side. He had to stop them before it was too late!

“Oh, look at this, Candice. It looks like our guest has woken up.”

The Porkchop approached Gilbert, and pulled up his head by the hair.

“Well, well, well. How are you doing, little Mappemonde? It's been fun to see you. We never would have thought there would be more Concept-borns out there. And yet look at you...filled with so much songpower...”

His hands were smelling of blood and raw meat, a stench that made Gilbert want to throw up. When he let go, the Globe's head fell limp on his shoulders.

“Now just wait until morning. We gotta install the machinery first, and then...”

The Spinach Can poked her friend on the shoulder.

“We have to go, now. They're waking up.”

The Porkchop nodded, and the two of them went to fetch two headsets plugged into the machine, and put them on.

“See you soon, Globeface.”

Gilbert tried to move, to resist, but his hands were almost sewn to another part of the machine. He struggled as much as he could, in vain. Soon the two Concepts had disappeared from sight, as the basement filled with what seemed to be premises of songpower.  
Who knows what Colin could currently be up to?

\---

As soon as the Puppets made it to the kitchen, to have some breakfast, they noticed how empty everything now seemed. There wasn't the usual killing noises of Tony and Paige, or the chanting of Shrignold's cultism. Even Colin's messily spread oats were removed from the kitchen table.  
Manny helped himself with a glass of orange juice, while Robin just sat at the table, not hungry at all. Something...something was wrong. But they couldn't get their finger or feather on it. It was as if they had forgotten something important.

“Something's...different.”, Manny noticed after a long time.

It was true. But what was the matter? It was a day like any other day. There was no doubt in it. So why did the two Puppets have this creeping impression of something wrong all the while?

“Something's...missing.”

Robin turned her head around. It was so weird. A strong feeling of déjà-vu. And she didn't like it at all.  
Were they...only two people left, in this huge house?  
A noise then made itself heard. A small clanking, right behind them. The Puppets turned their heads around, only to find a small, underdeveloped Concept, playing with spoons and jelly jars as with drums.  
One second later, the upper cupboard opened, revealing a thin green-haired Concept. And it started to sing.

_“Are you hungry?”_

\---

The garden was large enough to host the gigantic machinery. The screen was turned on, but there was no video yet. Colin put on his own headgear, linked to the other Concepts', and gave them the go. Some seconds later, they were beginning to sing.  
The meters started to rise. Colin adjusted some dials, watched the nice curve of the graphs as it arose in a smooth and regular timing. The Gateway was ready to receive the songpower. Even though Candice and David's singing was horrible and made up, the flow of energy gathered by their headsets was making its way right into the main generator. The screen showed confused, broken lines. It was working.

“Go on!”, Colin spoke into his mic. “You have warmed them up, now proceed to the explanatory!”

Ensued the second phase of energy: the teaching. Puppets, by contradicting the concepts and getting silenced right after, were feeding more energy than on the first verses. And it was what Colin had expected.  
He pressed more buttons, felt more and more energy flowing by. Soon they would get to the third phase: more singing, this time with darker intentions, and then the fourth and final phase would came: the coda, a mass of unintelligible shouting where the Concepts would unleash their true powers of reality-warping. Such power would be needed to fully activate the gateway and cross the barrier between worlds; but then it was only half of the crucial elements. The other half was the Globe.  
Colin sent his mouse after him. It slithered on the ground like a snake, down into the house, out of his eyes. It was sentient enough to accomplish its task alone. Meanwhile, Colin plugged his fingers into the left main port, and felt his body flowing with energy again. Just as when he had opened the gateway for the first time, and felt this huge overdrive in data and codes.  
He was now mere minutes away from becoming a god.

\---

Gilbert had tried to struggle himself out of there, but the nerves on his wrists were ready to break apart from the pain which made his oceans foam up. He could hear distorted notes upstairs, and a heavy feeling in the air, as if the apocalypse was coming right now. He would never let it happen; not in a world where he had made such wonderful friends. Not in a world when everyone he cared about lived!  
Once again, he tried to untie the hard metal that sealed his hands. He did everything he could, given he had no tools or powers, but he was failing each time he tried, and today was no exception. That's when he heard something.  
The familiar roll of a trackball mouse.  
Colin's Concept item slithered up his leg, even though Gilbert tried to shake it away, and clicked right under his nose. Suddenly, he felt his wrists break free, as if melted by a powerful enough electric current. But then it grabbed the Globe by the neck, violently pulling him on the ground, dragging him forward. Gilbert knew where it was leading it, and resisted, but the pressure was too strong, and the damn item filled with too much Concept energy. The boy fell down, grabbing the machinery, trying to kick away the hardware piece, to find something heavy to knock it off before he died of strangulation. His hands crept towards the crates as he was dragged to the basement stairs, trying to find a weapon. But all he managed to grab was a pillowcase.  
It was filled with eggs.  
Gilbert didn't hesitate. He grabbed one of the hard-shelled things, and threw it on the mouse, where it smashed and splattered into a hundred pieces. The hardware didn't seem harmed at first, but a large chunk of shell stuck itself into the trackball path, and the reddish egg gunk made it too slippery to move. The wire eased around his neck, and Gilbert could stood up with pain. The mouse was trying to escape, but the Globe threw another egg on it with all his strength, and managed to break part of the flax-colored plastic. He grabbed the squirming machine, and put it in his pocket. If he wanted Colin to stop his madness, he might need it later.  
Grabbing the pillowcase, he ran upstairs.

\---

_“Stranger's plate! Stranger's plate! Stranger's plate! STRANGER'S PLATE!”_

Their voices were louder, louder and louder by each second passing. They drove the two Puppets completely nuts, especially Robin. The poor duck screamed, trying to escape the madness, but there was no end to it. Ringing colors, deafening voices, the shrill of the darkest universe drilling into her head, those were the only things she could see. She was plain erased from existence as her insides were eaten away by the devilish creations of the two Concepts. She tried to fight back, to no avail. Their power...was too strong.

\---

The power was approaching its paroxysm. Soon, there would be nothing stopping Colin anymore. The skies were darkening, the winds were howling as the tower was emitting its electromagnetic energy field. The Computer was feeling it all, flowing through his whole body, making his screen flicker between distorted images and code lines. Never in both his lives had he felt so good, so powerful. He wanted this feeling to last forever, never to stop, to feel him to the very brim forever and ever. His ascension was coming.  
The song was approaching its end, and the machine emitted long and loud beeps, warning him that it was ready. Colin grinned with all of his key-shaped teeth, as he plugged in his hand even deeper into the slot. His own Concept energy was reaching new limits. He could feel the Digital world opening its doors again. And yet, he couldn't achieve his objective. Without the power of Real, the Gateway would never open. And that's why he needed Gilbert.  
The world around him was starting to break down as the machine gained more and more power. He was now making only one with the hardware, his mind traveling at will across the wast metal spiderweb that composed the tower. He was at his highest.  
And yet…  
The connection with his sentient mouse has been quite troublesome for the two last minutes. He had tried to call it back, to see what was going on, but the link he shared had seemed to be cut off. That was bad news: if it broke, it would be the end of him without a doubt. But could he afford to see what was going on?  
He plugged out his hand. The brutal energy cut-off was hard on his body, but he got over it in some seconds. The machine was filled with songpower, it would keep running on for some minutes without him.  
Readjusting his little hair spiked by the electricity, he ran into the house.  
Suddenly, something cold smashed on his face, blinding him.  
“Colin, you have to stop this madness!”

It was Gilbert's voice. The Computer wiped the red substance out of his glasses, glaring at the Globe with a distorted smile.

“Try to stop me, you moron!”

He tried to summon his mouse, but something was holding it back. Gilbert's pocket was squirming, as if agitated by a frenzy animal. That bastard!  
But there was no time to lose. Afterall, Colin was filled with so much songpower right now, he wouldn't care about that. Raising his hands, he started warping reality again.

“What are you doing?”, Gilbert asked in a panicked voice.

“I'm putting an end to all of this!”

Every electronic device in the house was his'. Televisions, computers, cellphones, they were all under his control. So many wires, so much data.  
In a twist of his wrist, Gilbert got wrapped up in cables, falling on the ground like a limp grub. He tried to squirm his way out of the tangled cords, but Colin wasn't nearly willing to let him go so easily. Dragging him outside, towards the still on machinery, he was more than fed up with Gilbert's pathetic attempts to kill him. First the virus, then his mouse, now what?

“I am so done with you, Mappemonde, you can barely imagine.”

He pulled the Globe's arm out of the mass of wires, and plugged it forcefully into the port on the right. The earthly Concept screamed of pain, but it was no use fighting it. Willing or not, the portal would open.

“Now, if you excuse me, I have important business to do.”

And he plugged his own hand into the left port.  
The reaction from the machine was immediate. The main engine started to roar, emitting noises worth of a devilish beast, while the lights started to reach a blinding level. Colin felt his power drained by the machine, and Gilbert thought his organs were ripped from the insides. The song of David and Candice has ended, filling the tower with an insanely gigantic amount of songpower. The large screen flickered again, this time more vividly, showing distorted images. Bad 3D constructions, melting faces, and the doors. The doors leading to another world.  
Now was time.

\---

Harry hung up the phone. There as no use calling them now: the worst had happened. Another member of the trio had fallen.  
He walked out of the phonebooth, readjusting his travel scarf. There was no way he would be coming back. After all he had tried to make up for the situation, there was nothing he could do anymore about the Concept problem.  
But still...he wanted to have hope. He wanted to believe something could be done about it. He wanted to help. A last call wouldn't hurt anyone.  
Before he could insert a penny in the phonebox, it rang. He answered in a haste.

“Who's there?”, he asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

And, to his great surprise, Tony's voice spoke.

“We might have a problem. We need you, right now!”

\---

It was a complete disaster.  
Colin already had crossed through the Gateway when Harry, Paige, Tony and Shrignold arrived, exhausted and scared to the core. Gilbert was lying there, tangled in strangulating wires, his life force totally drained by the machiavellian system. Paige tried to spread some glitter on him, but it didn't help much. At least he was breathing.

“What in tarnation did happen here?”, Tony asked angrily. “We leave for one second and everything goes off the rails!”

“I blame the duck.”, Paige snickered. “But hey, at least we can stop him now. It should be easy.”

She tried to cross through the portal, but a blast of energy pushed her back, stopping her.

“Don't you realize?” asked Shrignold, who just helped a grotesque overweight Manny out of the house. “We can't go in there without our reality-warping. He's filled with songpower and the energy of two Concepts. We don't have none left, how could we stop him?”

“But there's one of us who still has got untouched songpower.”

All the glances turned over to Gilbert, who had managed to regain consciousness.  
Paige grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Are you alright, friend?”

The Globe felt his head spinning, but the calm voice of the Notebook managed to soothe the few intact nerves he had.

“I...I think I am.”

“Good. Do you think you can sing?”

Gilbert suddenly jerked back.

“S...sing? Why for?”

He didn't understand the meaning behind her request, but then it came to him. The Gateway was ripping apart on the screen, showing brief glimpses of the other world. Human-like silhouettes, draped in white, manipulating gigantic objects and gross replicas of the protagonists. Sewing needles, masses of felt and stuffing, half-formed Puppets and many other horrors.  
And Colin, in the middle of this chaos, bending the elements to his will.

“You're the only one who can cross through the Gateway. We need your song, Gilbert.”

“B...but it isn't ready yet!”

“It doesn't matter, just make it up!”

“No, you don't understand!”

The Globe relied on the machinery to stand up, dizzy from the power-drain he underwent.

“I had spent years preparing my song, and this will be my only chance to do it! I can't just make it up, I have to do it like you guys did!”

The oceans on his face started to get agitated, covered in thunderstorms. He truly was struggling between his desires and his duty.

“I...I really want to help. But my song...my song is something I really wanted to play out. With...Puppets, schemes, and everything!”

Harry looked at the bloodied Manny. He didn't want to be a Puppet to those creatures anymore, but he didn't have the choice.

“I'll be your audience.”, he said in hushed tones.

Something just lit up inside of Gilbert. Seeing this, Paige grinned.

“I know this isn't our role”, she hesitated. “But as the fate of our world depends on it, I'll be your audience too.”

Shrignold and Tony looked at her with shocked glances.

“But...dear, that's madness! You can be seriously damaged from this!”

“I trust Gil.”, she answered, before sitting next to Harry. “He'd never hurt me.”

The Clock and the Lovebug looked at each other, before sighing and sitting with her.

“I've always wondered what it was like, being a Puppet.”, Tony muttered.

Gilbert looked at them with a smile. He was truly feeling ready. He could feel the lyrics of his song coming to him.  
Then, Harry started the game.

“What is the biggest thing in the world?”

_The Globe spinned on himself, facing the Puppet, offering his largest smile. He was full of knowledge, full of answers. He wanted to answer the doubts of his friends, he wanted to teach them everything he knew. And what better way to share his knowledge than through a song?_

_“What is so big it can't be seen?_  
_Larger than the sky might've ever been,_  
_With all you need inside to live:_  
_Waters to drink and air to breathe!”_

_Followed pictures of rivers, forests, a galloping deer in the wild._

_“This is our world, our mother Earth  
And she does know how to shine!” _

_“But how big exactly is it?”, Paige asked._

_“Not now, my friend, for it isn't time!”_

_His powers appeared to him as the song accelerated slightly. In a gesture, he brought his friends in a large valley, full of life: plants, animals, flowers and bees._

_“See the vastness of the world  
So big she hasn't no limits!”_

_“Bigger than the sky?”_

_“And bigger than the sea?”_

_“Yes my friends, that's how it is!”_

_He was gaining superiority over them. His powers gained another rank._

_“So vast, so huge, so wonderful!  
That's the only way it is!”_

_“But aren't there other Earths out there?”, Harry asked._

_“Of course not; those are just theories!”_

_Second part: the talking. He hadn't got the right to mess it up. Turning into a Globe, he spinned on himself._

_“You see my friends, this is our world! Planet Earth, a wonder of nature, where we all can live happily! And oh, look, there's the Moon! Hello miss!”_

_Appeared a tiny golf ball with a face painted on it, hovering around Gilbert, who seemed mildly amused._

_“But what about the other planets in our solar system?”, Tony inquired. “Sure they can host life too…”_

_“Nonsense! Have you seen them? There's Jupiter the big fat ball, Saturn bragging about its rings and the veeeery cold Pluto! Those are just big balls of gas floating around! No one wants to live on a stinky ball of vapor!_

_“I heard something about going on Mars and settle space farms there.”_

_Rockets, stars, red planets. Gilbert was starting to be angry. This was not what the lesson was about! For some reason, he didn't let the Butterfly express himself._

_“No way! Who wants to live on another planet when Earth has everything you need?”_

_Then followed again lovely pictures of green plains, wheat fields, wild cattle, waterstreams._

_“Earth is the only planet you need!”_

_“But what about pollution?”_

_“And overpopulation?”_

_“Cause Earth's the only planet indeed!”_

_Gilbert then turned into living rage. How dared...how dared they express their opinion! He was the one supposed to teach them about his ways, not the other way round! There was no need for them to speak! He needed to wipe them out of existence, to make them pay, for they dares interrupt HIS lesson!  
Spinning on himself once more, he knocked them all back._

_"You guys just don't understand_  
_How the Earth can always stand!_  
 _There's all beauty in friendly nature_  
 _For each and every single creature!"_

_"But it's dying slowly!"_

_"And it's dying certainly!"_

_"Yet the Earth won't know an end!_   
_Don't you see the way it is, all in clouds and rain and sun?_   
_It's immortal, and will always be, and it's beauty's just begun!"_

_Came forth clouds of acidic rain that slowly melted the Puppets' skin and burned their bones, as Gilbert was dancing in his delusion of beauty. Soon, the music reached its apex, and Gilbert felt the last chorus come to his mind. His voice echoed all around the projections of his mind, as he was filling himself filling up with songpower._

_"The Earth is a beautiful place!_   
_It's eternal and will never die!_   
_Why would you deny its grace,_   
_Why would you spread such a lie?_   
_Climate change is an invention,_   
_No species's risking extinction,_   
_Cause the Earth's a land of green,_   
_The biggest you've ever seen!!"_

_With his last line, he felt a burst of songpower rushing through him. The climax of his song, that brought his power to its fullest, that filled his brain with so many emotions and energy, that send shockwaves through his entire being, filled with the suffering of these Puppets..._

“Gilbert!”

Paige's voice broke his songful trance.

“Now's the time!”

The Gateway, Colin, the other world. Everything came back to him all of a sudden.  
Gilbert regained a human appearance, his body filled with songpower. A powerful discharge of energy that flowed through his whole being, making him feel as if he was the most important person in the world. His anger soothed itself as soon as he stopped singing, relieving his mind corrupted by the influence of music. Without hesitation, he crossed through the barrier.  
It felt at first as if his whole body was ripped away from existence, followed by a dreading sensation of guilt and fear. But the light of his song showed him the way, spreading warmth again through his body. Hanging onto his words, humming the light tune of his melody, he progressed through the chaotic world with confidence.  
All around him, white figures were creating. Sewing Puppets out of felt and fluff, playing with them like marionettes, both by hand and strings. Some of these creations were living, talking, under the watchful glance of the white figures. Who were they? Gilbert had no idea.  
Among the newly-formed creatures, Colin was there, in his Computer form. He was visibly lost. Gilbert rushed to him, but a sudden barrage of felt and string blocked his path.

“Don't. Come. Any closer.”, Colin threatened.

Gilbert brushed the fabric aside with a gesture of the fingers.

“You have to stop this, Colin. Whatever you're doing is putting our world in danger.”

“Do I look like I care? This world has brought nothing but pain to me.”

He took his humanoid form again, walked towards the Globe. He was now more threatening, more powerful in aspect, with a dark look in his eyes that made him look like a crazy killer robot.

“But look at this. Look at this world, Gilbert. Anything we want can come true here. We won't have to suffer the injustice of the humans anymore. A place for all Concepts to live free!”

“That's not how it works! If you stay here, you'll die! Without the proper Puppet energy, you're not going to live!”

“Who cares? I have got plenty of Puppet here. I can bend the Creators to my will, and they'll make me all the Puppets I want!”

“But those will always be empty! Don't you get it? Only our world can give you what you need to stay alive!”

“Enough!”

Colin tried to blast Gilbert away with a beam of data, but the Globe shielded himself with a rock wall, still trying to convince the Computer.

“We're not supposed to be there! Don't you see? We're harming the energy balance of both worlds!”

“I told you I DON'T CARE!”

Strings, wires and cables stood up around the Concept of Digital, like an army of electric snakes, ready to attack. One after one they got thrown at the Globe, who used his agility to dodge them.

“This is madness! You can't change the world!”

“Just watch me!!”

Colin gestured as if he was drawing claws; but instead of claws, there were jacks and USB ports on the tips of his fingers.

“I had enough of you already! I have tried to offer you another chance, but if you keep being this stubborn, then I have nothing to do with you!”

He rushed at the Globe, his ports slashing through the air, clawing at the frightened Concept who had no option but jump back, again and again, out of Colin's rage-filled attacks. He could feel his own songpower draining out slowly as time was passing, but he couldn't afford to end up stranded in this world. Suddenly, he felt the hard contact of metal as his chest got barred with a powerful strike that tore his skin apart. Magma-like burning blood lashed out of his guts, as he fell down lifelessly, in a pile of scrap felt.  
Colin walked to him, weapons still out, trying to talk peacefully.

“Now...get out of there, Gilbert. I'm offering you a last chance. Get out of this world while you still have songpower left. And no more harm will be done.”

The Concept of Real tried to stand up, despite the large wound that has traced canyons on the European continent on his chest, leaking glowing red mineral blood.  
Gilbert tried to gather his forces despite the pain. There was no way he would let this end now. Even if Colin was nothing more than a beast of rage and greed...there would still be a solution.

“Colin… Please...try to understand-”

“ENOUGH!”

His ports suddenly wrapped around Gilbert's neck, and plugged themselves into his ears, not without a great pain.

“You had bothered me for too much, Mappemonde. It is now time you learn your lesson.”

Something flickered on Colin's forehead screen. The list of “Dangerous sites”.

“Now's time to pay.”

A blast of energy shot through Gilbert's head, who felt himself drained of all his songpower left. His body was left numb as his conscious was ripped from it, converted into lines of binary code, thousands of terabytes of zeroes and ones, and sucked into the terrifying dimension inside Colin's head.  
The torture was like no other. The “Dangerous sites” were all made of the darkest creations of the deep web. Creepy sites, revolting pornography, gore and suicide on camera, all kinds of stuff that would have made him want to throw up, if he still had a body. His mind was prisoner of this madness, left to rot in the deepest levels of the Web ocean.  
But somewhere...somewhere he knew he could escape. He knew he had the power to swim up, out of the horrors of Internet. If only he could...reach up to the light again…  
He started humming his song again. A light-hearted tune that gave him hope. He could do it.  
He tried to swim up. The fate of the world depended on it. In this vast and deep ocean, somewhere, was his friend. A friend who needed to be rescued.  
The ascension was hard, oh so hard. But he could feel his progress as he made his way across the whole Internet. He soon accessed imageboards, social networks known for their weirdness, private communication networks. He was getting closer to the surface.  
Gilbert kept singing his tune, hoping it would return his songpower. A remain of it was still flowing through his blood as the web water became warmer around him. The weird porn and private data disappeared gradually, replaced by music sharing sites and blog pages. The surface Web. Gilbert gathered his strength, and thrust his mind upwards, where a cold gust of wind welcomed him. He could now see the iceberg, in the middle of the sea of data, where all the most common sites were hosted. He could feel his mind becoming somewhat corporeal as he swam there, climbing on the cold ice of daily Web.  
In the middle of the ice block, Colin was sitting. He didn't seem angry or greedy as his material self, and was simply looking at his feet without saying anything. Gilbert carefully approached him, and the Computer turned his head around.  
Head that had no oversized screen pasted on it. His hair wasn't plastic white, nor his hands were computer icons. Gilbert had a hard time recognizing him, but a memory emerged. A memory of twenty years ago.

“Mikey?”

Colin's previous human life, kept locked here in the cold realm of Internet. Gilbert had forgotten how small and insecure he used to be. The poor child seemed to be frozen cold, trapped in the ocean of data with no way out.

“G...Gilbert?”, the teen asked.

Gilbert took off his traveling coat and wrapped it around the boy's ice-cold shoulders, whose pale skin was nearly blue.

“It's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you.”

“Gilbert...what is this place? I don't understand anymore. I'm scared...”

“Don't worry. We'll find a way out of here. I promise.”

The Globe looked around. They were stranded in the middle of Colin's mind, and there was no way they could swim their way out. How were they going to escape this place?

“Gilbert...”

“Not now, please. I have to think about how we'll get out.”

“But Gilbert...your pocket...”

The Concept of Real turned around, and looked at Mikey. Something was making the coat slightly vibrate. A squirming bulge in the left pocket. Gilbert opened it, revealing the Concept mouse.  
He grinned, and caught it before it could escape.

“Hold onto me, Mikey. Tonight, we're getting out.”

He let the kid grab his arm as he plugged the mouse into the Internet ice, and rolled the wheel up. His energy started to rise, as the last remnants of songpower filled his mind.

“And off we go!”

He clicked, and felt himself warp out of the Web.

\---

Something just awoke at the corner of Colin's mind. Something he did not want to remember at all. Something that made him worry.  
He had lots of power left, he could afford to venture inside. Staying plugged to Gilbert's lifeless body, he entered his own digital consciousness.  
He found himself in the black room, the one with the three doors. Here was the main part of his made-up digital world, his haven of peace. Tony had his yellow path and Shrignold had his pink fluffy world, but he had a whole dimension all to himself.  
Except this time there was someone else.

“Colin!”, Gilbert called, running to him.

How...how did this brat escape!? There was no way it could be possible! No one could escape the darkest corners of the Internet!  
And then Colin saw the Globe wasn't alone. He started to lose his mind.

“Wh...what is _he_ doing here?”

“Colin. We have to discuss about something important.”

The geeky teen was standing behind the Globe, wearing his Earth-patterned coat, not daring to look at his Concept self. But would have he done it, it'd have send the Computer into a confused mess of terror, anger, disgust and regret.  
Gilbert took his Concept friend by the shoulders, and look at him straight in the eyes.

“This is madness, and you know it. But you can still stop it.”

His voice was calm, soothing, filled with care. He didn't want to harm him the slightest.

“I...I can't.”, Colin sobbed. “This world...doesn't deserve to live.”

“You're only saying that because you're thinking only about the bad things. But you know this isn't everything. There are some good sides to it.”

They were in a mind world, it would be easier to understand each other. The Globe put his hands on Colin's temples, and closed his eyes, letting the memories flow into his friend's head.

 _Gilbert with the gang, bullying little Mikey once again. But Gilbert didn't want to do it. Whenever he was looking at him, a powerful guilt was making his guts wrench. He would have loved to help him, to stand out against the three bullies, but he couldn't do anything but watch sadly._  
_Gilbert, asking the bulky Frederick Fazzear if they really had to be this hard on him, with this bear saying “it's either him or you”._  
_“I'm sorry they broke your glasses, but...you can have mine. I...I think they'd look nice on you.”_  
_Gilbert, getting an account on “League of Warcraft and Magic”, Mikey's favorite game, to send him valuable items anonymously, helping him in the sole domain he could find confidence in._  
_“You did amazingly great! No wonder you're one of the greatest. I wish I could play like you!”_  
_Gilbert, thinking about revealing his secret to him, so Mikey could see he wasn't the only outcast, hoping this would bring them together._  
_“You know...Colin isn't that much of a bad nickname. It's nice, and...it rhymes with pumpkin. It's...kind of cute, isn't it?.”_  
_Mikey's beaming face when he had found a very nice letter in his school locker for Valentine's Day, only signed with a bowler hat. Gilbert didn't wear hats at the time, but he loved them enough for Mikey to recognize who wrote it._  
_“No matter what they think. Because I know you're above them.”_  
_Mikey, smiling with his brace-y smile._  
_“You can do better.”_  
_“Who are they to judge you?”_  
_“I don't like where this is going.”_  
_“Please, don't hurt me! Look, I'm just like you!”_  
_“I'm going to do my best and write a wonderful song.”_  
_“At least we're going to be together...no?”_  
_“I can show you how much I care.”_  
_“I like it when you hold my hand.”_  
_“Stay with me...please.”_  
_“Don't leave me.”_  
_“I always cared.”_  
_“Colin, please.”_  
_“Always.”_

When the stream of memories ended, Gilbert opened his eyes, and let go of the Computer. The latter looked as if we was about to cry, or to collapse, or even to break down and blow a circuit. But Gilbert kept his stance, breathing slowly.

“I'm sorry.” were his only words, before Colin started to sob.

He took the Computer in his arms, letting data tears run on his back. His heavy head rested on his shoulder, and Gilbert smiled. He really loved this contact, this touch he had dreamed of for so long. Friendly, without any bitterness in it.  
But Gilbert was the one to break it first.

“We have to go. We have to fix what we have done.”

He took part of the blame upon himself, as he could have stopped it all sooner if he had have the courage. That “we” also implied something Colin didn't really get until a long time later.  
Behind them, the ghost figure of Mikey was watching, not understanding anything of it. Colin then turned to him. There wasn't much difference between the two of them once they were put side to side, but it was still shocking to see how one could change by becoming a Concept.

“Listen. We'll need your help to get out of here.”

“But...how?”

Colin gave him the mouse. It was broken in parts and covered in ice and egg juice, but it was still working.

“Take this. Plug it into the mainframe, else it won't turn on. Run the program named “Mind_Restoration.exe” as administrator. The password is ConceptOfDigit4l.”

It was a weird feeling, talking to this younger version of himself. Surely this would put a lot of things in question.

“Then wait for it to load. Once it's done, turn everything off and reboot the whole system. It should now work properly again.”

“What about you?”

“It's my mind, I'll be back soon. But I want you to handle this for a sec, would 'cha?”

Mikey nodded, and disappeared a second later.  
Gilbert then held Colin's hand.

“You don't have to seal your humanity away, you know.”

“I know. That won't happen again, I promise.”

They looked at each other. There was a strange gleam in their eyes, something that made them wonder why they had been in bad terms all this time. Something that would certainly push them to get to know each other better. Something that made them bring their faces closer, their foreheads touching. The contact was nice, very calming. Colin's headscreen was cold, Gilbert's ocean was warm, and although they were perfect opposites, they could find peace in each other. Not exactly in a platonic way, but they didn't know that yet.

“...Gilbert?”, Colin asked after a while.

“Yeah?”

“Did you mean it, when you said...you've always cared?”

“Yes.”

They wanted to get even closer; but the second after, they found themselves sucked out of Colin's mind.

\---

The three Concepts and the two Puppets watched with apprehension as the Gateway was opening even wider, and the gruesome creatures it contained were spreading through their world. They have tried to fight them back, but it was a hard task, considering the powers of those things. They had no choice but to let them roam if they didn't want to be destroyed.  
Suddenly, the monsters stopped. As if called by some incredible power, they all fled back to the Gateway, bringing the darkness out of the world. The gang gazed in awe as they say the distorted creatures disappear as by magic.  
The second after, Gilbert and Colin were back from the other world. Injured, exhausted, in a bad shape, but alive.

“Gilbert!!”, everyone exclaimed.

They all went to take him in their arms. Never did Gilbert feel so much appreciated, so accepted. That warm feeling in his chest was so much to live for.  
Then, their stares turned at Colin, who found himself the target of a virulent hate.

“What is _he_ still doing here?”

Gilbert broke free from the hugging, placing himself between Colin and the others.

“Don't you touch him!”

They stopped, not without shock.

“Gilbert...he tried to kill us all!”

“He wanted to destroy our world!”

“And, thanks to his friends, Robin has disappeared and our house is a mess!”

Colin wanted to disappear away from all the pressure he was a victim of, but Gilbert kept holding the Computer's hand.

“I know.”, he simply said. “And I also know he can do better.”

The two Concepts turned to the still open Gateway.

“Closing this once and for all would be a good start.”

Each of them approached one of the machine's ports, and plugged their hand in.

“On the count of three?”, Colin said.

“One...”

“Wait!”

Shrignold parted himself from the crowd, stepping forward.

“You're...going to shut it down? Like, forever and ever never to be opened again?”

The Globe and the Computer exchanged a glance.

“Erm...yes, why?”

“Perfect. Just a second please.”

The Lovebug then produced an old stained pillowcase, full of round-shaped objects, and threw it with all his might inside the portal. The few bits of songpower left allowed it to pass through, where it splattered on a hard surface.

“You may resume.”, he just said, under everyone's questioning stares.

The Globe grinned.

“Alright. So, we said?”

They counted to three, and turned their hands like keys into the slots. The machinery clicked, buzzed like a swarm of wild wasps, and the Gateway shut down and closed. Gilbert then rose his hands, and concentrated his mind.

“Switch on.”

Gigantic roots suddenly emerged from the grass, grabbing the machine's base, as a large crack opened on the earth in a tremendous quake. The vines entangled the metal within them, as the sound of boiling lava rose to the ears of the flabbergasted household. Slowly, pulled by the vegetation prison, the Gateway started its descent into the very bowels of the earth, the crack getting larger and larger with each second, so much that part of the house got caught in it and collapsed. Gilbert managed to pull his forces together, focusing his mind so much he feared it would stay stuck on its task. But finally, with a deep and long growl, the machine got swallowed inside of earth's crust.

“Switch...off.”

The ground took several minutes to reform itself, but the crack closed slowly, the grass growing like skin over a years-old scar. In the time needed to write a song, every trace of Colin's doomsday device had disappeared.  
Exhausted, the Globe collapsed, overwhelmed by all the energy this single Switch did take. Colin caught him before he hit the ground, and held him close, with a sudden care that had appeared out of nowhere.  
Tony sighed.

“Now what? What is going to happen? We can't...just let him run like that!”

“Don't be silly.”, Paige replied. “We can't let these two get away, for sure. Letting them in the house isn't the best idea...but it's not like if we had another choice.”

While they all were discussing the matter, Harry looked at the half-destroyed house. In the middle of the ashes, something white caught his eye. He went to pick it up, and found it was a chief's hat.

“I don't know if we really can throw them out.”, Shrignold wondered. “They are Concepts just like us.”

“But some Concepts can't be trusted.”, Tony replied. “He tried to kill us!”

“That's the proper of Concepts, dude! I think he did pretty great. And he used his powers, so that's fair.”

“But he cheated.”, Harry intervened, showing them the hat.

The argument stopped as quick as it had started.

“Wh...what is that?”, Paige inquired, snatching the garment off his hands. “It...it can't be a Concept item! Who does it belong to?”

Colin gulped hardly.

“I...I hired them. I needed their song. But I swear, I don't know where they are!”

Harry sighed.

“They have taken my friend. I have to find them and bring her back.”

“You're not going to leave, don't you?”, Manny asked, spitting out some of the “healthy” meat.

“Sorry, bro. But I have to.”

His glance got lost somewhere over the hills. Putting on his scarf, he started walking.

“So long, brothers.”

As he trailed away, the other people gathered together, in front of their house. Paige, Tony, Shrignold, Manny, Colin and Gilbert, standing together, stronger than ever.

“We need to be ready for whatever comes.”, someone said.

And, more determined than ever, they went back into the house.


End file.
